HISTORICAL INSTALIMENT NUMBER VIII (FINAL) I. OR7ANIZATION STIVVARY : The operational phase of Task Group 132.3's partioipation fn Operation IVY was completed during the period of this report. A date of completion would be difficult to name but: such a date would be between 26 November, date of departure of the last ship of the Task Group (USS OAK MITEL LSD-7) from the Forward Area, and 16 December, ~xpected date of arriva) of the last: ship in the United States (same ship). The latter date marked the completion of the release’ of the operational control of alI-éhips- Crom: thaTask Group — to normal commanders. It should be notod that the last ship of the Task Group to arrive in .” the Forward Area was the Scripps Institute vessel, the M/V SPENCER FP. BAIRD, which arrived at Bikini on 14 November. By that date four (4) other vessels had already been released from the Task Sroup. A chronological listing of | the release of the ships and units will be covered lat'r in this section. The Task Organization set up in the Task Group OpPlan fimctioned fer MIK® Frent vith few changes. ‘Tho changes involved the Task Farce Command ship, the USS ESTES (AGC~-12), which was required to operate independently of the Transport PJement. The Commanding Officer of the MSS IE0 (TAKA-60) then was designated eas Task Flement Comanier. The TSS I'ST-836 also operated serarately from the Transport Flement throughout all phases of IVY. The MV SPENCER F, BAIRD, as noted’ above was not present in thé MIKF Event and stayed at Bikini during the KING Events Further modifieatioas in the task organisation were required in the KING Event as shown in the preceding installment — of this Aistory. throughout IV%. The general basic organization, however, was maintained BEST AVAILASLE COPY 131